Till Death Do Us Part
by YukinaTakanashi
Summary: When you love someone so much, what do you do once that someone passes on? Pairing: Kanami X Hiyori


**A/N: Hey guys! So, a lot of you have been sending me tons of personal requests via private messaging. I will get through all of them this year. However, today I recently had an urge to write a dark (and slightly horror) fanfic for once, just to give it a try. **

**Warning: Do not read this fanfic if you like happy endings.**

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**Till Death Do Us Part**

It came as no surprise to anyone the day Etou Kanami asked Juujou Hiyori to be her wife. Ever since, the infamous event of the two Tojis exorcising Tagitsuhime—and being found unconscious, their hands clasped tightly together—it was only natural for them to be considered a perfect match for each other. From that day forward, Kanami and Hiyori always supported each other, through thick and thin, even after their Toji days. And in everyone's belief, there lived no finer couple.

The wedding itself was a momentous occasion. Never before in history had two Tojis united together in matrimony. Held in the courtyard of the Origami family mansion, Origami Yukari herself officiated their marriage, witnessed by every Toji in the country. However, what filled the ceremony with tears and took the congregation's breaths away were Kanami's endearing vows.

"Even when death parts us, I solemnly swear to be with you forever, Hiyori-chan," Kanami had said, and she was determined to keep those words.

For five peaceful years, Etou Kanami and Etou Hiyori lived simply and happily in their humble home. From the day they wed, the two were always seen by each other's side, never apart, their hands clasped tightly together. With the joy and adoration their presence spread to others, it seemed as though no powerful force in the universe could separate the two lovers...

...however, their happiness was short-lived once the aftereffects of the Fifth-Layer Jin'i slowly began to occur. And eventually, it became evident that Hiyori's body was gradually deteriorating, as she got weaker and weaker with each passing day. Despite the raven-haired beauty's desperate pleas for Kanami to stay by her bedside, her wife refused. Unwilling to accept Hiyori's imminent death, Kanami spent the rest of her dying lover's days, hopelessly searching for a cure to no avail. But no medicines, bargains, or godforsaken prayers could save the woman she loved.

And soon—too soon—Hiyori sorrowfully died with heartbroken regrets, her cold hands empty of her lover's.

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The exterior of the Etou residence was in a state of disarray, as though it had been unkempt for years. Which honestly was not very far from the fact. It was a well-built, traditional Japanese house with wood that had once looked quaint but was now all rotten. The roof was missing several shingles and the lawn was overgrown with weeds. Ever since the death of Etou Hiyori, all the windows and doors were closed, and none of the neighborhood children dared walk up to the porch to pay a visit.

Despite the malevolent rumors of a phantom living inside, two individuals were seen one bright Sunday morning approaching the rickety house. Kohagura Ellen and Mashiko Kaoru paused on the threshold, wondering whether the lone occupant wished to be disturbed. In the end, it was Ellen that took the initiative to knock.

"Kanamin, we're going to Mai-Mai's house for some girl-bonding time. Wanna join us?" Ellen called.

At first, there was no answer. However, a few seconds later, the faint sound of footsteps was heard approaching and the front door slowly creaked open. The two women cringed slightly at the mess that used to be their sword-eccentric friend. Immediately, Kaoru's nose wrinkled at the corpse-like smell Kanami had, as though she hadn't bathed in days.

After her wife's death ten years ago, Kanami didn't bother about her own personal grooming. In her tormented mind, there was no longer any reason for her to look pretty for anyone anymore. Kanami's disheveled brown hair now fell to her waist in huge tangles, and heavy bags were under her bloodshot eyes. Looking at Kanami's thin frail arms, Ellen also suspected that she'd been starving herself, due to how malnourished she looked.

"Oh, Kanamin!" Ellen cried, clearly upset at the sight of her friend.

"Two words: personal hygiene," Kaoru said.

Her comment was met with a glare, once Kanami gruffly demanded, "What do you want?"

She hadn't even bothered to greet them with a "hello". It was so strange and disturbing to see the once happy energetic Toji, now an empty long-suffering invalid. Neither Ellen nor Kaoru took pleasure in how much their friend had changed—and not just in the physical way.

For ten long years, Kanami was inconsolable. When Yukari suggested a proper vigil and cremation, the widow flew unexpectedly into a savage rage, refusing to let anyone touch or even see the body of her dead wife. Kanami's friends wondered what had even happened to it, but simply assumed that Kanami had buried Hiyori herself.

_'Has it really been ten years?'_ Ellen asked herself.

It seemed like it was just yesterday. Her own heart ached, just remembering the pain and devastation Kanami stubbornly wished to go through alone. Despite all of their friends pleading for Kanami to not shut them out, the widow locked herself in her house and was never seen again.

_'This time, it'll be different,'_ Ellen thought, with determination.

"Please join us, Kanamin," Ellen said. "Even if you don't, at least let us in."

At those words, Kanami's eyes bulged and she forcefully shrieked, "No! You can never go in! Go away and never come back! **EVER!**"

Taken aback at how wild Kanami became, Ellen took a step back, her eyes widened with fright. Kaoru grasped the sleeve of her partner with a disconsolate expression.

"Come on, Ellen. It's not worth it," Kaoru sighed.

Disappointed, the two retreated from the house. If they had entered it, they would've been disgusted if not horrified. The interior was in no better condition than the outside. Dusty cobwebs were everywhere and empty beer bottles were strewn on the floor. The odors of unwashed clothes, liquor, and trash that accumulated over the years floated through the air. Trudging through the mess on the floor, Kanami walked with a slow-gait to her bedroom.

It was probably the neatest room in the house, having no furniture but a bed inside. The curtains were drawn, preventing natural light from getting in. With a sad smile, Kanami locked herself in the bedroom, before turning towards the occupant lying in her bed.

"Sorry, Hiyori-chan, I had to answer the door," Kanami said, "but I'm back."

She got underneath the covers next to the rotten corpse of her beloved wife. Despite Hiyori's empty eye sockets and festering flesh that showed so much bone, in Kanami's mind and heart, her wife was just as beautiful the day she first met her. Taking Hiyori's cold skeletal hand, Kanami smiled, her eyes closed with contentment.

"Even when death parts us, I solemnly swear to be with you forever, Hiyori-chan," she whispered, before drifting off to sleep.

_Their hands clasped tightly together..._

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**A/N: So, what did you guys think of this story? This was my first time writing a dark fanfic. I got inspiration from something I heard on the news. Apparently, this woman was found sleeping with the corpse of her husband, fifteen years after he died. Talk about necrophilia! Please let me know your thoughts in the reviews! **


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